25 Nov 2018
We didn't have a lot of time, so we booked a flight in and out of Xi'an for a day trip. Booked with Terra Cotta Warriors Tour group with Mason. First, Mason was great to work with, they have no problem individualizing your day to your interests. Their policy is -- provide a knowledgeable guide, car and driver. Admission fees are extra based on what you want to see. Lunch isn't included so the guide will take you to the restaurants you like instead of where they get the best deal.
We had Eddie Liu as our guide and he made the day so much more enjoyable - please ask for him. As a foodie, he took us to restaurants we would never have found but were local and authentic and fantastic. By the way, in these places, if you ask for something spicy, you will get spicy that is beyond anything we would find in North America - you have been warned.
In addition to the Warriors (which was the best part of our week long trip to China) we did a stop at the City Walls (would have loved to take a bike ride around them if we had more time) Muslim quarter (I really wanted to sample the food there, but Eddie cautioned against it due to health concerns - there is a lot of open air storage of food without refrigeration) and Big Wild Goose Pagoda (very impressive and a must-see)
I highly recommend this company and specifically recommend using Eddie as your guide.